Saskatchewan Places First in Inaugural BMO Wealth Management Index

- National index ranks residents of each province on who is most successful at managing their wealth by looking at a variety of criteria

- Saskatchewan places first among the provinces with a score of 72.9

- Saskatchewan residents score well in having a financial strategy; opportunities exist for them to improve by reducing their level of debt and having a will in place

REGINA, SASKATCHEWAN--(Marketwired - June 12, 2015) - BMO Wealth Management today launched a first-of-its-kind national Wealth Index, which provides a snapshot of Canadians' financial situation and measures their ability to manage their wealth.

The inaugural BMO Wealth Management Index ranks residents of each province, out of a score of 100, on which residents are most successful in managing their wealth. This is determined by looking at a variety of criteria, including: having, reviewing and maintaining a financial plan; household debts and assets; retirement savings; having insurance in place; estate planning components; rainy day savings; and the sustainability of their current financial situation. The Index is unique among financial measures because it considers more than just "balance sheets" (i.e. how much money Canadians have).

Saskatchewan placed first in the inaugural study among all the provinces in Canada, with a score of 72.9 out of 100. The province ranked highly in the following categories:

Having a financial strategy in place (86 per cent)

Reviewing their financial plan on a regular basis (81 per cent)

Ensuring their loved ones are financially secure by having a life insurance policy (72 per cent)

Having a prepared estate plan (70 per cent)

The categories in which they scored lowest included:

Having a high level of debt (average of $129,700, which is $30,000 more than the national average)

Having a will (just 36 per cent have one)

"We are delighted that Saskatchewan ranked first in the BMO Wealth Management Index. Congratulations! It's great to see that Saskatchewan residents take charge of their finances to ensure they and their loved ones are financially secure," said Ken Fetherstonhaugh, Regional Vice President and Managing Director, Prairies, BMO Private Banking, a part of BMO Wealth Management. "Wealth is multi-faceted and that's why BMO Wealth Management launched this index - to examine how Saskatchewan residents fare in wealth planning and identify where there are opportunities to grow. Beyond how much money is in your account, it's important to manage your money strategically, organize your finances and plan for the future."

Saskatchewan Residents Confident About Financial Preparedness

In addition to Index ranking questions, Saskatchewan residents were asked about how they would fare financially in the event a major life event (such as getting married, the birth of a child, loss of a job, retirement etc.).The results found:

Seventy per cent are confident that they would be prepared financially

Eighteen per cent are not very confident that they would be prepared financially

Nine per cent are not at all confident that they would be prepared financially

"It's encouraging that a majority in Saskatchewan believe they can take on a major change successfully," said Betsey Chung, Chief Marketing Officer, Canadian Banking & Wealth Management, BMO Financial Group. "Life events and market changes are often catalysts for people to reconsider their approach to wealth management. We're here to help clients turn these changes into opportunities - whether it's a fresh start, a new endeavour or a chance to give back."

BMO Wealth Management recently launched a multi-faceted ad campaign that is appearing across all customer experience platforms and webpages. The campaign tells the stories of clients going through significant life changes - newly single, aging parents, kids returning after university and changing market conditions, to name a few - and showcases how BMO Wealth Management can help clients turn those changes into opportunities for greater financial success and peace of mind.

BMO Wealth Management Index - Provincial Breakdown

Province

Index Score

National

69.3

Saskatchewan

72.9

Quebec

71.1

Alberta

70.6

Newfoundland & Labrador

70.4

Nova Scotia

70.0

Ontario

69.2

Manitoba

68.4

PEI

66.7

B.C.

66.3

New Brunswick

58.9

BMO Wealth Management Index - Key National Findings:

Canadians scored well on having a financial strategy (81 per cent have one) and ensuring their loved ones were financially secure by having a life insurance plan (66 per cent have one in place)

Opportunities exist for them to improve by working with a professional to ensure effectiveness of their financial plan (66 per cent have not used a professional) and prioritizing saving for retirement (65 per cent do not do so)

When Canadians were asked about how they would fare financially in the event a major life event (such as getting married, the birth of a child, loss of a job, etc.), 62 per cent are confident that they would be prepared financially, 21 per cent are not very confident and 10 per cent are not at all confident

Survey results cited in this report are from online interviews with a random sample of 1,403 Canadians, 18 years of age and over, conducted between April 10th and 13th, 2015.

As a guideline, a probability sample of this size would yield results accurate to ± 2.6%, 19 times out of 20. Results have been weighted using the latest census data to be representative of Canadians as a whole.

Established in 1817, BMO Financial Group is a highly diversified financial services provider based in North America. With total assets of approximately $633 billion as of April 30, 2015, and more than 47,000 employees, BMO provides a broad range of retail banking, wealth management and investment banking products and services to more than 12 million customers and conducts business through three operating groups: Personal and Commercial Banking, Wealth Management and BMO Capital Markets.